Jason Wang

With the offseason now in full swing, Milwaukee hasn’t wasted any time in clearing out several roster spots. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The allure of any winter is seeing what new faces will wear Brewer blue on the next Opening Day. To do so, room has to be made for these new faces, often done through trades and declining and club or mutual options. The biggest recent move made was to place Colin Rea on waivers. He had a $5.5 million team option for 2025 with a $1 million buyout, an affordable contract for a starter who has thrown nearly 300 innings over the past two seasons for the club. This decision may have been driven by the 8.31 ERA he had in the final month of the season, a performance that was poor enough to omit him from the postseason roster entirely. Despite his imperfections, Rea filled a crucial role for the team with the litany of starting pitcher injuries that devastated the Brewers’ rotation. Unfortunately, it seems that the return of big arms like Brandon Woodruff and a potential acquisition of another starter has pushed him out of the picture. The team’s decision to pass on Wade Miley’s mutual option was a similar yet less surprising move. Mutual options are rarely exercised because if a player has played poorly and is incentivized to exercise their end of the deal, teams are rarely as enthusiastic. On the other hand, if players have exceeded their mutual option value, front offices are more than willing to keep them around, but the player would likely want to seek more value in the open market. Miley fit the first case, pitching just seven innings in 2024 before being sidelined by injury. He would have cost the team an exorbitant $12 million against a $1.5 million buyout, a price tag far too hefty for a pitcher with a K/9 of 5.7 and FIP of 4.80 over his tenure with the team. Gary Sánchez also had his $11 million mutual option turned down in exchange for a $4 million buyout. He had some great moments with the Brewers, but with an OPS+ of 93 over 280 plate appearances and the offensive surge of Eric Haase, there wasn’t much of a reason to keep him around. He was also unremarkable defensively and spent most of the season as a designated hitter, which makes his case even less compelling. Finally, Milwaukee traded Owen Miller to the Rockies for cash considerations. He had been an interesting plug-and-play utility guy over the past two years but couldn’t hit well at the major league level. His bat was serviceable during his two seasons with the Nashville Sounds, slashing .278/.350/.411 over 497 plate appearances, but he could never carry that success forward. With Rhys Hoskins picking up his player option and the other parts of the infield showing great upside, Miller’s hopes of finding long-term playing time with the Brewers were slim to none. So what’s next? The biggest roster gap seems to be the rotation, especially with two of their starters all but gone and Frankie Montas’s $20 million mutual option likely to get declined. Brandon Woodruff will be back next year, and Freddy Peralta’s $8 million club option was exercised, but the team would still need one or two arms at the back of the rotation, especially if Woodruff needs time to ramp back up. Acquisition-wise, much of this depends on whether the front office will make a concerted effort to retain Willy Adames in his free agency. If they decide to make a big offer to keep him around, payroll for the rest of the team will have to adjust accordingly. If not, they have more budget bandwidth to spend on whatever they’d like, probably a new shortstop or third baseman if Joey Ortiz returns to his old position. It’s still extremely early, so don’t expect any signing activity to occur in a few weeks. Speculation and rumors will fill the winter air like the smell of eggnog and baked cookies, but it would be surprising if any major deals are actually finalized before December. For now, sit back and enjoy the big market teams fighting over the future of Juan Soto and other marquee names Milwaukee will say they can't afford. View full article

Though the Brewers have some of the best pitching talent in the sport, their delegation of pitching prospects have had a rough start after three weeks of play in the Arizona Fall League. Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Game Results Monday, 10/21 | None Tuesday, 10/22 | Glendale 8, Peoria 1 Wednesday, 10/23 | Peoria 11, Scottsdale 10 Thursday, 10/24 | Peoria 5, Surprise 8 Friday, 10/25 | Mesa 14, Peoria 10 Saturday, 10/26 | Salt River 6, Peoria 7 3B Brock Wilken Week: 4 G, 18 PA, 2 H, 2 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K Wilken still hasn’t found his footing in Arizona. After his third week of play, he’s slashing .130/.236/.261 over 55 plate appearances, while striking out 17 times. It’s hard to determine how much stock to put into his rate stats given such a small sample size, but this subpar offensive offense may be part of a larger trend that saw him post just a .477 OPS in the final two months with Double-A Biloxi. For now, he’s whiffing far too much in the zone. He has a low chase rate of just 10.0%, but is really struggling against breaking balls, swinging and missing 40% of the time on them. His only six hits for the Javelinas so far are against fastballs, a big weakness opposing pitchers seem to be exploiting. OF Luis Lara Week: 4 G, 18 PA, 2 H, 1 2B, 4 R, 1 RBI, 6 BB, 2 K, 3 SB Lara was a tough out this past week, notching an on-base percentage of .444 despite having just two hits. In fact, the only game in which he didn’t get on base was Thursday’s battle against the Saguaros. He also collected his second double of the season and leveraged his on-base abilities to score four runs, second to only Andrew Pintar for the week. His plus speed was also on full display, as he took the second spot on the team for total stolen bases behind Colt Emerson (6). INF Juan Baez Week: 3 G, 14 PA, 2 H, 1 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 1 SB Báez slowed down a bit at the plate, but still had an on-base percentage of .500 across his three outings. Despite having just two hits, he still leads the Javelinas in batting average (.424), on-base percentage (.537), and walks (8). Baez didn’t see any playing time in the first or last game of the week, which may have limited his ability to cobble together more counting stats, but more rest could also be the right course of action to maintain his current performance. His first three weeks have been a refreshing change of pace from his lukewarm season in Single-A Carolina—one that saw him achieve just a .693 OPS across 356 plate appearances. RHP Coleman Crow Week: 1 G, 2.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K Crow likely didn’t have the week that he wanted. He started his lone outing against the Desert Dogs by giving up three consecutive hits. In his second inning of work, he gave up two more singles and a triple to Tyler Callihan before netting two more outs and departing the mound. Crow threw 43 pitches, 33 of which were strikes. Opponents' six hits were all against pitches that were placed right in the heart of the zone, pointing to a need to expand the zone just a little more, given his fairly tepid stuff. RHP Ryan Birchard Week: Did not pitch RHP Will Childers Week: 1 G, 1 ⅓ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Childers pitched in Friday’s loss to the Solar Sox. After being ahead of his first batter 0-2, he gave up a home run before getting the next batter out in two pitches. His command seemed a little shaky, with quite a few pitches left in hitter-friendly parts of the strike zone. Even the two flyouts could’ve spelled trouble if they had been hit just a little harder. LHP Mark Manfredi Week: 1 G, 0 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 0 K Manfredi had an, uh, interesting statline, ending up with the rare zero hits in zero innings pitched. He entered Thursday’s game against the Saguaros in the bottom of the sixth inning, in a bit of jam. The bases were loaded, the Saguaros were up by one run, and the Javelinas needed just one out to escape. He walked his first batter, threw a wild pitch to allow another run to score, walked his second batter to reload the bases, balked in a run, walked another batter to reload the bases, then walked in another run. Of his 23 total pitches, just seven were strikes. The Saguaros managed to score four runs with Manfredi on the mound and put the game out of reach for Peoria. It has been a consistent issue so far this season. Over 20 batters faced with the Javelinas, he has walked six and struck out just three. Opposing hitters have a .650 on-base percentage, so there are definitely some kinks to iron out moving forward. RHP Nick Merkel Week: 1 G, 2 ⅓ IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Merkel made one appearance in Wednesday’s win against the Scorpions, being the first arm out of the bullpen after starter Patrick Monteverde needed 66 pitches to pitch just under three innings. Merkel pitched well through his first handful of batters faced, avoiding any real damage and never seeing any major trouble. In the bottom of the fifth inning, he gave up a two-run homer and completed the inning before leaving the game. Merkel’s time as a Javelina has reflected his performance in the week. His strikeout rate of 26.9% is good, his walk rate of 7.7% is solid, and his opposing slugging percentage of .708 is unsustainable. Across 26 batters faced, he has already given up three home runs, but that's probably fluky to some extent. His xFIP of 3.72 is a far cry from his ERA of 6.35 and FIP of 8.65, but there’s definitely some upside in his game. View full article

Anyone can throw a baseball, including your uncle at every 4th of July barbecue, but these Brewers prospects threw the baseball exceptionally well during this year's minor league season. Brewer Fanatic ’s minor-league writers voted for the awards and for an all-star team of Milwaukee's prospects. This isn’t a list of "Top Prospect" list but instead, a showcase of which pitchers in the team's system had strong showings in 2024. Each writer chose five starting pitchers, a right-handed reliever, a left-handed reliever, and two more bullpen arms to round out the bunch. Before we get to the All Star pitchers, here are our 2024 Brewer Fanatic Award winners (and links to the articles to see who else received votes). Short-Season Hitter of the Year: Jesus Made Short-Season Pitcher of the Year: Dariel Jacquez Minor League Hitter of the Year: Mike Boeve Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year: KC Hunt Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year: Craig Yoho Brewers Minor League All-Star Hitters Disagree with the votes? Let us know in the comments below! Starting Pitchers RHP K.C. Hunt (24) - Carolina Mudcats/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers Acquired: Minor-league free agent signed in July 2023 2024 Stats: 25 G, 14 GS, 8-3, 102 IP, 2.03 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 12.3 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, K.C., short for Kyle Clemente, was named after Roberto Clemente but couldn’t be further from his namesake. He was drafted by the Pirates in 2022 but didn’t sign, went undrafted in 2023, then signed a minor-league deal with Milwaukee and had his first full professional season in 2024. No one expected him to rocket his way through the first three levels of the minor leagues without much of a sweat, finishing the year in Double-A Biloxi with a 2.20 ERA over six starts. He was so good, he was named Milwaukee’s Minor League Co-Pitcher of the Year along with Craig Yoho. More importantly, he earned the even more esteemed title of Brewer Fanatic Starting Pitcher of the Year. He had a 34.7% strikeout rate and a 37.5% whiff rate, video game numbers for any starter let alone a 24-year old professional rookie. He held opposing hitters to a .189 batting average and .520 OPS, neutralizing any offense that stood in front of him. Expect Hunt to continue his path of greatness in Triple-A Nashville next year and potentially see some action in the big leagues. At just 24, he’s still got plenty of time to make a big impact for the Brewers even if he doesn’t make his debut in 2025. RHP Chad Patrick (26) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Traded from Oakland in November 2023 in exchange for Abraham Toro 2024 Stats: 26 G, 24 GS, 14-1, 136 ⅓ IP, 2.90 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 9.6 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 I miss Abraham Toro just as much as anyone else. The 21 plate appearances he had with the Brewers had me glued to my seat the entire time and as one of the Brewers of all time, it was sad to see him traded away. However, I knew that for a player of his caliber, the team would get back someone pretty nifty. Chad Patrick has indeed been pretty nifty. After pitching to a 4.91 ERA in his first four starts of the season, he locked in and never looked back. He led the Sounds in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts (145) while leading all Triple-A starters in WHIP and OBP allowed (.279). Hitters struggled against his five-pitch arsenal consisting of a four-seam fastball, sinker cutter, slider, and changeup. He had a cumulative whiff rate of 29.2% and an incredible 41.8% whiff rate on his slider. RHP Logan Henderson (22) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds Acquired: Brewers 4th round draft pick in 2021 out of McLennan CC (TX) 2024 Stats: 19 G, 19 GS, 7-6, 81 ⅓ IP, 3.32 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, 1.7 BB/9 After spending the first two years of his professional career in Single-A Carolina, Henderson shot up through three levels of the minor leagues in 2024. After a very brief two-game stint in High-A Wisconsin, he made nine starts for Double-A Biloxi and then six starts for Triple-A Nashville. He struggled a little with the Sounds, managing just a 4.56 ERA but his 9.9 K/9 was in line with the exceptional strikeout rate he had maintained with the Shuckers. He was the fourth-youngest member of the Sounds this year and has plenty of time to continue developing as a starting pitcher. He’s made big strides each year since being drafted and will likely continue the trend in 2025. RHP Shane Smith (24) - Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds Acquired: Undrafted free agent signed in July 2021 out of Wake Forest University 2024 Stats: 32 G, 16 GS, 6-3, 94 ⅓ IP, 3.05 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 Smith had a relatively brief career with Wake Forest before signing a minor-league contract with the Brewers in 2022. Because he made just two starts in college, he spent all of 2023 coming out of the bullpen for Single-A Carolina and High-A Wisconsin. 2024 was his first full year as a starter and he rose to the occasion with Double-A Biloxi, even managing to make a handful of relief appearances in Triple-A Nashville. Overall, he held opposing batters to a .579 OPS while striking out 29.6% of opposing batters. He has done a great job of handling the transition from bullpen arm to starting pitcher and could be an integral part of the Sounds’ rotation next year. RHP Jacob Misiorowski (22) - Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds Acquired: Brewers 2nd round draft pick in 2022 out of Crowder College (MO) 2024 Stats: 33 G, 21 GS, 3-5, 97 ⅓ IP, 3.33 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, 5.5 BB/9 As the top-ranked pitching prospect and third-ranked prospect overall in the Brewers system, all eyes are on Misiorowski as he grows closer to approaching the big leagues with each passing day. He spent the majority of his season with the Shuckers but made two starts and 12 relief appearances with the Sounds, pitching to a 2.55 ERA over 17 2/3 innings. You’re likely already familiar with his player profile: 6’7” frame with gross stuff, a 70-grade fastball that tops out at 100 mph, and off-the-charts strikeout numbers. While his K/9 is yet to dip below 11 for any professional season, his walk rate continues to be a major issue. Despite his opposing batting average of just .167, his walk rate of 14.4% has kept his WHIP high. If he can improve his command, the sky’s the limit for the young but incredibly tall man. Bullpen Right-Handed Relief Pitcher: Craig Yoho (24) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds Acquired: Brewers 8th round draft pick in 2023 out of Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!) 2024 Stats: 48 G, 4-2, 57 ⅔ IP, 0.94 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 15.8 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 10 S Yoho’s rise to the top has been quite the spectacle. In his first full season of professional baseball, his numbers were simply unfathomable, especially when considering the equal time he spent across three levels of the minor leagues. He never saw significant regression, was consistently outstanding, and was a marvel to witness. He led all of the minor leagues with a 42% strikeout rate (is that even allowed?) and kept opposing batters to a .190 slugging percentage all year. Is this guy the Brewers’ closer of the future? I’m not sure since we only have a sample size of a year but holy cow, was it a great year. Left-Handed Relief Pitcher: Brian Fitzpatrick (24) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Acquired: Brewers 10th round pick in 2022 out of Rutgers University 2024 Stats: 20 G, 7 GS, 5-2, 70 ⅓ IP, 2.69 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1 S Like Yoho, Fitzpatrick was picked later in the draft than most superstar talent but still managed to stand out with a great 2024. He didn’t do quite as much moving as Yoho and probably got away with just leasing one apartment, but his tenure with the Timber Rattlers was productive. He started the season as a sort of long reliever before making a few lengthy starts of his own, finishing the year with a six-inning shutout performance against the Peoria Chiefs. He ended the year with a strikeout rate of 26.2% while walking just 7.9% of batters faced. Relief Pitcher: Kevin Herget (33) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Minor-league free agent in February 2024 2024 Stats: 38 G, 5-1, 47 ⅔ IP, 2.27 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.1 BB/9, 11.1 K/9, 4 S Drafted by the Cardinals when I was finishing up eighth grade all the way back in 2013, Herget has had quite a long minor league career. After being designated for assignment by the Reds at the end of 2023, he signed up to play his 11th season in the minors in the Brewers system. He pitched admirably as a Sound and even saw some time with the major-league club, tossing 11 1/3 innings to a 1.59 ERA. He struck out 32.4% of his minor-league opposition while walking just 6.0% of them. While his 2.27 ERA was already impressive, his 2.07 FIP was somehow even more impressive. Relief Pitcher: Sam Gardner (27) - Biloxi Shuckers Acquired: Undrafted free agent signed in May 2023 out of the Frontier League 2024 Stats: 22 G, 2-2, 34 ⅔ IP, 2.34 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, 12.5 K/9 Yet another unlikely story, Gardner spent two somewhat lackluster seasons with the Gateway Grizzlies in the Frontier League before being signed to a minor league deal with the Brewers. He pitched well in 2023, posting a 2.22 ERA over 44 2/3 innings in High-A Wisconsin, earning a promotion to Double-A Biloxi in 2024 where he kept up the good work. While he was a starting pitcher in college and for the first portion of his independent league career, he was gradually moved to the bullpen and the lower workload has done wonders for him, notably causing a spike in his strikeout rate. Since moving to a full-time reliever, his K/9 is yet to fall below 11 and he punched out 37.2% of batters faced. Like Herget, his ERA was already great but his FIP of 1.82 was even better. The path forward will be a tough one for Gardner as he’s already 27 years old but don’t rule out an eventual big league debut just yet. Congratulations to our 2024 Brewer Fanatic Minor League All Stars! View full article

Who shined the brightest in a farm system full of future stars? Brewer Fanatic’s minor-league writers voted for the awards and for an all-star team of Brewers prospects. This isn’t a "Top Prospect" ranking or list by any means, but instead a way to highlight which players in the Brewers system had the best seasons at each position. Each writer chose a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, three outfielders, a DH and a utility player. Tomorrow, we’ll finalize the All-Star team with the pitchers. Before we get to the All Stars, here are our 2024 Brewer Fanatic Award winners (and links to the articles to see who else received votes). Short-Season Hitter of the Year: Jesus Made Short-Season Pitcher of the Year: Dariel Jacquez Minor League Hitter of the Year: Mike Boeve Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year: KC Hunt Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year: Craig Yoho Catcher: Francisco Mejía (28) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Minor-league free agent signing on April 5, 2024 2024 Stats: 376 PA, .274/.348/.428, 14 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 55 RBI, 1 SB After spending some time in the majors with the Guardians, Padres, and Rays organizations, the Brewers became his fourth team after he signed a minor league deal early in the season. He was a fairly impactful bat, posting a .776 OPS over nearly 400 plate appearances. His K/BB of 1.71 was among the best of Sounds players with >350 plate appearances, placing him behind just Isaac Collins and Tyler Black, both of whom saw time in the big leagues this year. He excelled against breaking balls, slugging .568 against them and was similarly effective against four-seam fastballs. He struggled immensely with sinkers and off-speed pitches, mustering just a combined .534 OPS against them. First Base: Ernesto Martinez (25) - Biloxi Shuckers Acquired: International free agent signing out of Cuba on May 27, 2017 2024 Stats: 457 PA, .284/.365/.466, 30 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 62 RBI, 20 SB Martinez has been in the Brewers minor league systems since he signed with the organization all the way back in 2017. He spent all of 2024 with Double-A Biloxi and may have had his best full season yet. He saw the most action of any year in his professional career thus far and made big strides throughout the season, slashing a very impressive .349/.443/.558 with 1.22 K/BB after July 1st. He also reached the 20 stolen base mark for the second time in his career. A big reason for this second-half bump may have been his struggles against left-handed pitching. Prior to July 1st, he managed just a .500 OPS against southpaws. From July 1st onwards, 170 of his 201 total plate appearances were against right-handed pitching. However, it should be noted that in the 31 plate appearances against lefties, he did post a .880 OPS. Second Base: Jadher Areinamo (20) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Acquired: International free agent signing out of Venezuela on January 15, 2021 2024 Stats: 467 PA, .301/.349/.442, 30 2B, 10 HR, 68 RBI, 32 SB Areinamo had a strong showing and justified his position as the 24th-ranked prospect in the Brewers system. A utility infielder that split time between three positions, his year with High-A Wisconsin was a productive one and probably justifies a move to the next level in 2025. He led the team in doubles and RBI while stealing the third-most bases on the team. The stolen base figure is particularly interesting when acknowledging that scouts gave him just a 30-grade run tool, although they did highlight his lack of speed is made up for by smart decision-making. Similar to Ernesto Martinez, he was much better against right-handed pitching than he was against lefties, particularly when it came to hitting for power. He slugged .515 against righties and just .270 against lefties but kept the strikeout rate around 11% against both left- and right-handed pitchers. Third Base: Luke Adams (20) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Acquired: 12th round draft pick in 2022 out of Hinsdale Central High School (IL) 2024 Stats: 418 PA, .227/.443/.397, 15 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 28 SB Adams has exceeded expectations as a late round draft pick out of high school. He has been excellent in all levels of the minor leagues so far and took over as the 9th-ranked prospect in Milwaukee’s system. He led the Timber Rattlers in on-base percentage (>60 PA) with an absurd walk rate of 18.7% which helped him become a stolen base threat, nearly matching his 2023 single-season record of 30 stolen bases. At just 20 years old, there’s plenty of upside and with a possible hot corner opening at the big league level, Luke Adams could be getting called up sooner rather than later. Shortstop: Cooper Pratt (20) - Carolina Mudcats/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Acquired: 6th round draft pick in 2023 out of Magnolia Heights HS (MS) 2024 Stats: 406 PA, .277/.362/.406, 15 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 27 SB As the 2nd-ranked prospect with the Brewers and the 62nd-ranked prospect overall, Cooper Pratt has some lofty expectations. He lived up to these expectations and was good enough with Low-A Carolina to prompt a promotion to High-A Wisconsin in his first full year of professional baseball. In addition to having a well-rounded prospect profile, he dominated lefty pitching this year, posting a 1.039 OPS against southpaw pitchers with a very respectable .636 slugging percentage. He had some difficulties when jumping up to High-A, notably having an on-base percentage of just .258, but he managed to hit five home runs in the span of just 95 plate appearances, giving fans a taste of his power potential at the plate. Outfielder: Isaac Collins (27) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Minor-league Rule 5 Draft pick from Rockies in December 2022 2024 Stats: 500 PA, .273/.386/.475, 28 2B, 7 3B, 14 HR, 76 RBI, 24 SB In his second year as a Milwaukee farmhand, Collins continued the momentum he started last year, posting a .861 OPS while playing every day with the Sounds and even earning a cup of coffee with the major league team. In addition to leading the team in hits with 114, he had an exceptional 14.2% walk rate and a 1.35 K/BB while still hitting for great power. He also led the team in doubles, triples, and RBI. His bread and butter was battering four-seam fastballs and cutters but had difficulties hitting sinkers for any sort of power, slugging .231 against them. If the conditions are just right, Collins could find a longer-term position at the big-league level, but it may be tough with all of the talent ahead of him on the outfield depth chart. Outfielder: Brewer Hicklen (27) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Minor-league free agent signing in November 2023 2024 Stats: 499 PA, .246/.363/.470, 17 2B, 5 3B, 22 HR, 72 RBI, 44 SB Not only does he have the best name out of all of his fellow prospects, Hicklen is also pretty good at baseball. He led the Sounds in homers, runs (78), and stolen bases. A genuine power-speed threat, he was good enough to get major league plate appearances for the first time since 2022. He was great at hitting breaking balls, posting a .975 OPS against them but was less effective against offspeed and sinkers. His extremely brief time with the Brewers was forgettable, striking out in four of his five at-bats but it’s hard to draw any useful insights from such a small sample size. Outfielder: Carlos Rodriguez (23) - Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds Acquired: International free agent signing from Venezuela in July 2017 2024 Stats: 500 PA, .284/.368/.374, 15 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 52 RBI, 17 SB Sometimes confused with Carlos F. Rodriguez who is a top-ranked pitching prospect for Milwaukee, Carlos D. Rodriguez deserves some shine as well. He spent most of his season with Double-A Biloxi but played well enough to earn a promotion to Triple-A Nashville where he had 128 plate appearances. He didn’t quite have enough time to find his footing at the highest level of the minor leagues but as a 23 years old, he’s got a few years left before that becomes a major concern. He was great against fastballs of all types but couldn’t hit breaking balls or off-speed pitches to save his life, posting a combined .413 OPS against non-fastball pitches. It’ll have to be an area of focus in his future if he wants to make it to the major leagues. Designated Hitter: Mike Boeve (22) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers Acquired: Brewers 2nd round draft pick in 2023 from the University of Nebraska 2024 Stats: 342 PA, .338/.415/.471, 15 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 2 SB The 12th-ranked prospect bullied opposing pitchers for just 13 games in High-A before being sent to the Shuckers where he continued his torrid rampage at the plate. He struck out just 15.8% of the time while having a 11.7% walk rate. He had similar numbers against both lefties and righties and was overall a pretty tough out. Unfortunately for Boeve, and fortunately for his opponents, he was sent to the injured list with an undisclosed injury in August, ending his season a month short. It was the second time he had been on the IL, the first time causing him to miss all of July. Don’t fret, we’ll likely see more of Boeve’s menacing bat in 2025, probably with the Shuckers and perhaps with the Sounds and beyond. Utility Player: Tyler Black (24) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Brewers Competitive Balance pick in 2021 from Wright State 2024 Stats: 462 PA, .258/.375/.429, 14 2B, 5 3B, 14 HR, 67 RBI, 20 SB Black entered the season as the 5th-ranked prospect in the system and managed to make his major league debut, accumulating 57 plate appearances with the Brewers before returning to the Sounds to finish his year. A glimmering gem of consistency, he had even numbers against lefties and righties, had a respectable K/BB of 1.43, and pummeled breaking balls and off-speed pitches. He was often beat with sinkers and cutters but that's something he has all offseason to work on. There you have it, our 2024 Brewer Fanatic Brewers Minor League All Star Hitters. Do you agree? Who might you switch around or change out? Discuss below. View full article

It was a rough week for the Javelinas, netting just one close win while suffering several brutal blowouts. Nonetheless, there were some highlights for the Brew Crew’s prospects--and that's what this league is really about. Image courtesy of © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK Game Results Monday, 10/14 | Glendale 5, Peoria 3 Tuesday, 10/15 | Glendale 19, Peoria 9 Wednesday, 10/16 | Peoria 7, Mesa 8 Thursday, 10/17 | Scottsdale 11, Peoria 6 Friday, 10/18 | Peoria 4, Salt River 14 Saturday, 10/19 | Mesa 4, Peoria 5 3B Brock Wilken Week: 4 G, 19 PA, 1 H, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K Following last week’s slow start to the short season, Wilken continued to struggle, with a home run being his only hit for this week. On the bright side, he managed to walk four times to bring his on-base percentage to .263 for the week. We've seen too much swing-and-miss (over 35% of his swings) but not much chase outside the zone, and he's deserved better outcomes than he's gotten when making contact. In a limited sample of Statcast-included games, he had one flyout this week that jumped off his bat at 102.6 miles per hour and a launch angle of 32 degrees. The power in the bat is clearly there, but scouts have known that for a while now. Can Wilken increase his average and on-base percentage enough to maximize the use of that power? We’ll find out over the next few weeks. OF Luis Lara Week: 5 G, 20 PA, 5 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 3 K, 1 HBP Lara saw more time playing this week, starting in all five games. He was also consistent, getting on base at least once in each game in which he appeared. He managed to hit his first home run of the Arizona Fall League to help lead the Javelinas to their only win against the Mesa Solar Sox on Saturday. In general, he did a better job of elevating the ball this week, after showing the ability to hit it hard but mostly on the ground in Week 1. Of 13 batted balls tracked for public consumption, Lara has had three over 102 MPH and none under 83. That's a bit surprising and more than a bit encouraging, from a player who won't turn 20 until next month and whose size is one of the biggest reasons to doubt his long-term upside. Nor is he selling out for power; he's made contact on over 75% of his swings in this stint. Interestingly, Lara has had no walks in his 32 plate appearances. It’s a small sample size, but it’s something to keep an eye on as the season progresses. He'll have to make good swing decisions to keep tapping into this kind of quality contact against more advanced pitchers next year. INF Juan Baez Week: 4 G, 15 PA, 5 H, 1 HR, 5 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 SB Baez saw more playing time after his standout first week, and while he wasn’t as close to hitting for the cycle, he still hit well, notably scoring five runs. He also walked as much as he struck out, and currently has a .556 OBP over his first 27 plate appearances with the Javelinas. As young and raw as he is, the feel for contact is undeniable. RHP Coleman Crow Week: 1 G, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Crow pitched two innings, starting Wednesday’s game against the Solar Sox. He didn’t run into a ton of trouble and the only runner that reached scoring position got there by walking and then advancing on a balk. Overall, he threw 34 pitches, 23 of which were strikes. The stuff is still not jumping out at you, though, and the looming Rule 5 decision on him looks tough right now. RHP Ryan Birchard Week: 1 G, 2 ⅓ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K Birchard got the start in the final game of the week and was a little all-over-the-place. In the first inning, he conceded three walks, threw a wild pitch, and gave up a hit before finally getting the third out. He had a more straightforward second inning, giving up a double and a walk but managing to prevent any further scoring. By the time he had given up his fifth in the third inning, he had already thrown 63 pitches, only 34 of which were strikes. That said, we got Statcast data on this outing--and it's as exciting as his wildness is discouraging. His fastball sat 94, in the extremely low-adrenaline environment of the AFL, and its carry is Tobias Myers-like. He comes from an extreme, deceptive over-the-top slot, with depth on a curve, a lot of movement on a sweeper, and a power slider/cutter that fits in between the other three pitches. Everything is going to come down to whether this guy can throw strikes. RHP Will Childers Week: 2 G, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Childers was lights-out in two games, getting most of his work done in the final game against the Solar Sox. He earned the final out of Thursday’s 11-6 loss to the Scorpions with just one pitch but got a chance for more work on Saturday. He relieved Birchard after his shaky outing and was efficient, throwing 30 pitches and striking out three. He also had a few walks, but unlike Birchard, none of his baserunners led to anything meaningful for the Solar Sox. His fastball sat 95 and touched 97, and his slider plays off it nicely, so it all comes down to his execution and command. LHP Mark Manfredi Week: 2 G, 1 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Manfredi had a tough start to his week. He gave up five earned runs in one inning of work against the Desert Dogs and may have been responsible for putting the game out of reach for his team. He entered the game in the seventh inning, at which point the Javelinas were down by just two runs. After a two-run home run by Otto Kemp, Manfredi closed out the inning with a lineout. Unfortunately, things quickly fell apart in the eighth. After back-to-back singles to lead things off, a three-run homer by Colson Montgomery put the Desert Dogs up 12-8. Manfredi then walked a batter and hit the next one, leading to his replacement without recording a single out in the eighth inning. He finished the week strong, coming in to earn the final out of the team’s sole win with a strikeout on five pitches. RHP Nick Merkel Week: 1 G, 1 ⅓ IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K Merkel entered Wednesday’s close loss to the Solar Sox to get the final out of the sixth inning and stretch his outing into the seventh. He was on the wrong end of two solo home runs and a double, resulting in him being officially charged with the loss. On the bright side, he seemed aggressive in the zone, throwing 19 strikes out of 27 total pitches, but it may have been the reason for all of the loud contact. View full article

what if we moved the twins to las vegas

Eight Milwaukee prospects will get a chance to play some extra-credit baseball with the Peoria Javelinas this year: three position players and five pitchers. Image courtesy of © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Game Results Monday, 10/7 | None Tuesday, 10/8 | Peoria 13, Glendale 15 Wednesday, 10/9 | Peoria 5, Surprise 3 Thursday, 10/10 | Peoria 6, Glendale 13 Friday, 10/11 | Mesa 6, Peoria 9 Saturday, 10/12 | Peoria 1, Mesa 4 3B Brock Wilken Week: 4 G, 18 PA, 3 H, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 5 K The top-ranked Brewers prospect in Arizona this year, Wilken had a bit of a slow start to the season. He managed to hit an opposite-field home run in the first game against Andrew Dalquist and had a single in the sixth inning of a chaotic 28-run game. Unfortunately, he quickly hit a snag and struggled to get going offensively for the rest of the week, notably striking out three times in Thursday’s loss to the Glendale Desert Dogs. OF Luis Lara Week: 3 G, 12 PA, 3 H, 1 RBI, 2 K, 1 SB Lara held his own, starting his season off with two hits in Peoria’s first victory against the Surprise Saguaros on Wednesday, also stealing his first base in the same game. Similar to Wilken, though, he wasn’t able to maintain the momentum throughout the week and went 0-4 in Thursday’s game against the Desert Dogs. INF Juan Baez Week: 3 G, 12 PA, 7 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 1 K Baez was a superstar at the plate this week, notching a 1.500 OPS, the fifth-highest mark of any player in the AFL and second-highest on the Peoria Javelinas. The 19-year-old was a home run away from hitting for the cycle in the victory over the Mesa Solar Sox on Friday. RHP Coleman Crow Week: 1 G, 1 ⅔ IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K Crow pitched in just one game this week, facing the Desert Dogs on Thursday. His outing started off great, retiring the first three batters with consecutive groundouts. He ran into some trouble against Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, two major leaguers on rehab assignments, before another groundout allowed runners to advance, leading to his departure from the mound. RHP Ryan Birchard Week: 1 G, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K Birchard appeared in the final game of the week, making a three-inning start and keeping the Solar Sox scoreless despite quite a few free passes. The closest he got to trouble was allowing a single and a walk in the third inning before retiring the next three batters in a row. RHP Will Childers Week: 2 G, 1 ⅔ IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 SV Childers was thrown into the fire as soon as he came out of the bullpen for the first time. After Gabe Mosser conceded a whopping seven earned runs in the first inning, Childers was left to clean up the mess. He earned the final out of the first, but gave up three straight doubles in the second inning before ending his AFL debut. His second outing was far more mellow, getting called upon to earn just the final out of the game. He struck out Benjamin Cowles on three pitches to earn his first save as a Javelina. LHP Mark Manfredi Week: 1 G, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SV Manfredi threw 23 pitches against the Saguaros on Wednesday to earn his first save of the season. It wasn’t the smoothest ninth-inning performance, as he would walk a batter and hit another, but he finished strong by striking out Brett Squires on four pitches. RHP Nick Merkel Week: 1 G, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Merkel relieved Birchard following his three innings of work and pitched efficiently, using just 30 pitches to deal with the eight batters he faced. After allowing two baserunners in the fourth inning, he needed only seven pitches to get through the fifth inning and finish his week. View full article

The financial trade-offs of having MLB manage the Brewers' games distribution show there really is no such thing as a free lunch. All we need to do is look at what's happening on the other side of the St. Croix River. Image courtesy of © Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Earlier this week, it was announced that the Brewers would not be renewing their contract with Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of Bally Sports Wisconsin. Instead, MLB will be taking over the broadcast, offering a blackout-free streaming option to fans in the local area. Unlike buying popcorn at the movie theater, this seems a pretty good deal for fans. It’s a centralized way to view Milwaukee baseball and finally addresses the dreaded blackouts that have plagued Iowa residents for far too long. So what’s the catch? Well, if precedent is anything to go off of, Milwaukee is definitely going to have lighter pockets in 2025. The Minnesota Twins have ended up in the same boat at a more gradual pace. After their contract with Bally Sports expired at the end of the 2023 season they cut their payroll by $30 million, about half of the roughly $60 million they received annually from DSG. They later renewed their contract with Bally for a significantly smaller payout and, like the Brewers, will now be one of the several teams whose rights are entirely handled by MLB. The Padres and Diamondbacks had their fair share of contractual issues with DSG, and rather than renewing for another year, both teams offered their own in-market packages through MLB.TV in 2024. The in-market Padres streaming package costs $100 per season, and it was reported that Padres had about 40,000 subscribers. Suppose my calculator app is to be trusted. In that case, they generated a measly $4 million in revenue, enough to pay for almost three whole beers at Petco Park but not enough to finance a shiny new free agent or lengthy extension. The question then becomes: Will the Brewers cut spending further, or have they done that already? Total payroll allocations went down by approximately $16 million from 2023 to 2024, but was that in anticipation of this move or just the result of natural fluctuations in the budget? When asked about the topic, general manager Matt Arnold stated something along the lines of “I don’t know, not my circus,”* something I often say when asked about the business hours of my local carnival. *not Matt Arnold's actual quote, editorial paraphrasing by us As things currently stand, Milwaukee already had a total 2025 payroll allocation of $112.7 million before finalized arbitration salaries. $10.5 million of that could be saved by rejecting the team option for Devin Williams, but there’s not much room to trim payroll without starting to surrender postseason equity. On the bright side, Brewers' attendance has been quite robust, totaling 2.5 million in 2024. It has been growing steadily and was at just 1.8 million for the 2021 season, something the front office could and should capitalize on. If they choose to maintain or increase spending this year, they'd take a bigger financial hit in the short term and hope that the team's positive momentum leads to more streaming revenue and even more money spent on beers and bratwursts. Another complication of this whole streaming debacle is that Bally Sports Wisconsin still holds the rights to broadcast Milwaukee Bucks games, so if you want to watch Bobby Portis and the other guys on that team hoop, you’ll still be tied to their offerings. If you want to watch both the end of the Bucks' season and the start of the Brewers', you’ll be forced to purchase both streaming options. From a pure viewer standpoint, this is a good move, even if it means roster construction is hamstrung over the next few years. Given the organization's historic fiscal practices, fans might not even notice a difference. Unfortunately for me, this probably means Milwaukee won't be offering Joey Gallo that $100 million contract I hoped he would be getting this offseason**. **this isn't a real thing anyone wants View full article

isn't it this one

has anyone tried deferring contracts by .7 x 10^106 years i.e. after the proposed heat death of the universe? Think it would be a good way to clear payroll to build a more solid winning team. why hasn't any front office done this? are they stupid?

In all seriousness, I'm not convinced either way. He's pre-arb and still pretty young so I don't think there's a huge rush. If he's able to perform a little better against offspeed and curveballs, he could be a really interesting contact/speed/defense combo for the team. but I also think it would be cool if he got the ohtani contract for the memes idk

93 wins, a dominant division lead, and a smooth path to the postseason. Who was the crown jewel of this talented team according to our writers? Honorable Mentions SP Tobias Myers 138 IP, 3.00 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 8.3 SO/9, 2.3 BB/9, 140 ERA+, 2.7 rWAR Myers had a stellar season and was recently voted as the team’s most valuable pitcher so it only makes sense that he would also be one of the most valuable players. He might have been one of the most underrated starting pitchers in the entire National League this year as his rookie campaign drastically outperformed any prior expectations. He’s one of a few young pieces that could carry the existing NL Central dynasty for the next several years. He’ll still have to avoid a sophomore slump but with less pressure next year and more veteran arms in the rotation, there’s a good chance he’ll be even better next year. myers_strikeout.mp4 OF Christian Yelich 315 PA, .315/.406/.504, 12 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 42 RBI, 21 SB, 151 OPS+, 2.2 rWAR It’s an absolute shame to see Yelich’s best season since his MVP-caliber campaign in 2019 cut short by back injury. He was on an absolutely torrid stretch and was seeming to peak before he went down in July, posting a 1.008 OPS for the month. He was pummeling baseballs while exercising elite plate discipline and stealing bases and a monumental pace. If not for those pesky back issues, there’s a good chance he would have gotten some MVP votes for his troubles. If Yelich had been in the lineup all season, could the postseason outcome have been different? Perhaps, it’s always hard to say, but it poses an interesting question: is he back (get it, cause back surgery)? From 2021-2023, he never had an OPS >.900 for a single month. In 2024, he had two months with a total OPS >1.000, indicating a potential return to form. We’ll have to wait until next season to see but with just a few years left in his baseball prime, Milwaukee is undoubtedly looking to get the most out of the face of their franchise. yelich_homer.mp4 2B Brice Turang 619 PA, .254/.316/.349, 142 H, 24 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 57 RBI, 50 SB, 85 OPS+, 4.6 rWAR Already named Brewer Fanatic’s Most Improved Player of 2024, Turang’s overall contributions were enough to make him one of the most important names in the lineup. Offensively, he looked great in the first half with a .731 OPS before hitting a wall and regressing to a 2023 level in the second half. On the bright side, his performance against four-seam fastballs was strong all year (except for an ugly July) and a big step up from last season. Defensively, Turang was otherworldly and has a decent chance of winning the National League Gold Glove award for his position. In fact, it may not even be close if Defensive Runs Saved is to be believed. Turang’s 21 DRS is 11 more than the next-best guy in the National League (Ketel Marte, 10). It was a big reason his WAR was so high despite his below-average offensive contributions. Looking ahead to 2025, my watch will always be set to Turang Time. turang_play.mp4 SP Freddy Peralta 173 ⅔ IP, 3.68 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, 10.4 SO/9, 3.5 BB/9, 114 ERA+, 2.6 rWAR Like Myers, Peralta recently shared Brewer Fanatic’s Pitcher of the Year award for 2024. Peralta’s numbers weren’t as nice as Myers but his total workload and raw stuff helped compensate for a slight difference in ERA. He’s an unlikely ace, especially for a roster as loaded in pitching talent as the Brewers but things could be a lot worse - you could always have Patrick Corbin throw 174 ⅔ innings for your team. Peralta can be a somewhat frustrating pitcher to watch, with his 9.4% walk rate and tendency to give up some loud contact but he’s genuinely pretty good, I promise. Would I wager my unborn child’s college tuition on him having a quality start in the postseason? Probably not, but he’s on a team-friendly contract with a reasonable $8 million team option coming up, a fair price for 170 innings of <4.00 ERA pitching. peralta_strikeout.mp4 Top 3 Most Valuable Players of 2024 3. OF Jackson Chourio 573 PA, .275/.327/.464, 29 2B, 4 3B, 21 HR, 79 RBI, 22 SB, 117 OPS+, 3.8 rWAR I don’t know about you guys, but to me, this Chourio guy really came out of nowhere. I mean, who expected this young kid to be this good? I sure didn’t! After all, I didn't see him at the Perfect Game showcase so what gives? Totally kidding of course, Chourio was ranked the eighth-best prospect in baseball in 2023 and scouts have raved about his diverse skill set since he was naught but a teenager, emphasizing his outstanding power, speed, and fielding ability. After making the Opening Day roster, fans realized they’d get a full season to watch the 20-year old grow and develop into a bona fide major-leaguer. Many analysts and projection systems assumed he was going to need some time to ramp up but boy did he come to the office ready to work. Chourio did struggle for the first two months of the season, posting a .608 OPS in April and a .542 OPS in May. His fielding was inconsistent and he was sometimes out of position, an understandable side effect of moving from center field to corner outfield. However starting in June, he must have started taking an extra multivitamin gummy in the morning because he went on a rampage, slashing .303/.358/.525 through the rest of the season. With his glove, he ended the year with 12 DRS, putting him in the top 10 of all outfielders. When the lights were the brightest in the playoffs, he went 5-11 with two homers and three RBI, getting on base twice in all three games against the Mets. The Brewers front office is notoriously frugal so to sign Chourio to a $82 million contract to win his services for the next eight years could not have been offered lightly. Now that we’ve seen him in the big leagues for a full year, the next seven may be even better than we had hoped. chourio_homer.mp4 2. SS Willy Adames 688 PA, .251/.331/.462, 33 2B, 32 HR, 112 RBI, 21 SB, 118 OPS+, 3.1 rWAR Did 2023 make you think that Willy Adames was potentially washed up? Don’t worry, it made me think that too, kind of. There were a lot of concerns about his ability to hit the ball hard and maintain a tight strike zone and it showed in his numbers. Last year’s batting average of .217 and slugging percentage of .407 were both career lows for a full season. Perhaps he had been saving all of his energy for his contract year because 2024 gave us the Willy Adames we have all come to know and love. You know, the one that’s a great shortstop and winks in the dugout. His 118 OPS+ was his best mark since his superb 2021 season when he first landed in Milwaukee. His slugging percentage returned to healthy levels and he set a new career-high for doubles, home runs and RBI. Sadly, this may be the last time we’ll be seeing Willy in Wisconsin. As one of the few prized shortstops on the free agent market this year (Vanessa Hudgens’ husband is the other), he’ll likely receive a call from a big market team with a gargantuan offer, one that the humble village of Milwaukee probably won’t be able to compete with. Can Cooper Pratt fill his shoes? Will Brice Turang have to move over to shortstop? Find out on the next episode of Brewer Ball Z. Brewer Fanatic’s Most Valuable Player for 2024 1. C William Contreras 679 PA, .281/.365/.466, 37 2B, 2 3B, 23 HR, 92 RBI, 9 SB, 129 OPS+, 4.9 rWAR You know, I have a suspicion that players with “Will” as the first four letters of their first name tend to be great Brewers. William Contreras. Willy Adames. WillRobin Yount. The proof is in the pudding. As the player on the team with the highest rWAR this year, it makes sense that Contreras would also be the team’s MVP. But let’s do away with these newfangled metrics and return to the basic numbers that made baseball great. He led the team in runs (99), doubles, walks (78), batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, intentional walks (5), and K/BB (1.78). He also had the second-most plate appearances on the team as a catcher, a testament to the sheer strength of the man’s legs and willingness to play the sport of baseball. Defensively, he seemed to have forgotten the improvements he made last year to his blocking and framing ability, regressing to a league-average backstop in those aspects but he still managed to accumulate six DRS, a new single-season record for him. Contreras will hit arbitration for the first time this offseason and MLB Trade Rumors has estimated that he’ll earn $7.6 million, a pretty penny but so far, he seems to be worth every penny. Milwaukee only has three years left of team control over him but by then, we may be blessed with a brand new catcher talent in Jeferson Quero. For now, let’s enjoy the best catcher in the National League in Brewer blue. contreras_homer.mp4 View full article

i would do $700mm/10 years with $68mm of each year deferred by ten years

His fastball definitely has some great rise with 19 inches of induced vertical break! I said serviceable because to me, the actual numbers are good but not insane. .239 BA, .436 SLG, 19.2% whiff rate are solid but definitely still some work to do. Just to totally cherry pick a random dude, Brandon Woodruff's four-seam fastball had .184 BA, .381 SLG, 28.4% whiff rate in 2022 also I hate cheerios

Who were the best arms on one of the league's best pitching staffs--and who won the acclaim of our writers? Honorable Mentions SP Aaron Civale (Brewers Stats) 74 IP, 3.53 ERA, 4.79 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, 7.9 SO/9, 3.0 BB/9, 119 ERA+, 1.1 rWAR Civale was an unassuming trade deadline acquisition, to say the least. After a tenure with the Rays that saw him pitch to a 5.17 ERA over 27 starts, he didn’t seem like he was going to be very effective with any team. After all, if the Rays--an organization known for developing great pitching talent--couldn’t make it work, how could anyone? Well, the Brewers did make it work, getting a great set of 14 starts from Civale and using him to bolster an injury-plagued rotation. Keen-eyed readers may note that his FIP of 4.79 is roughly the same as it was in Tampa this year, and perhaps he was the beneficiary of a solid defensive effort rather than of tangible pitching improvements. MLB Trade Rumors projects him to earn $8 million in arbitration, which might be a little hefty for a back-of-the-rotation guy, so despite his contributions in 2024, he may not make any more to the team in 2025. civale_strikeout.mp4 SP Colin Rea 167 ⅔ IP, 4.29 ERA, 4.75 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 7.2 SO/9, 2.3 BB/9, 98 ERA+, 1.3 rWAR In the face of unprecedented responsibility, Rea stepped up and led the Brewers rotation for the first four months of the season. His sweeper was one of the best pitches on the team, having an opposing batting average of just .054 with a BABIP of .082 before Aug. 1. Unfortunately for Rea, his pitching seemed to hit a wall due to the sheer workload of his season, requiring 40 more innings from him than he threw in 2023, and his performance regressed significantly in the final month. Luckily, the Brewers had established themselves as division champions by that point, so it didn’t have much of an effect on the team’s postseason position, but it was enough to leave him off of the Wild Card roster. rea_strikeout.mp4 RP Bryan Hudson 62 ⅓ IP, 1.73 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 0.72 WHIP, 9.0 SO/9, 2.5 BB/9, 243 ERA+, 2.5 rWAR 2024 was a great comeback year for Bryan Hudson. After being designated for assignment by the Dodgers, he was traded to the Brewers and was one of the best arms in the bullpen, leading all qualified Milwaukee pitchers in ERA+. His sweeper was dominant, boasting an opposing batting average of .052, a whiff rate of 35.2%, and a put-away rate of 26.4%. His FIP was a little suspect as it was considerably higher than his actual ERA but that was largely affected by a brutal July which saw him post a 10.83 FIP over a span of six games. If you recalculate his numbers without July, his FIP plummets to 2.49, so he may really just be that good. hudson_strikeout.mp4 Top 3 Best Pitchers of 2024 3. RP Trevor Megill 46 ⅓ IP, 2.72 ERA, 21 SV, 3.10 FIP, 1.01 WHIP, 9.7 SO/9, 2.7 BB/9, 155 ERA+, 1.3 rWAR Like some of the other names on this list, Megill was saddled with higher expectations because of injuries affecting the people above him on the depth chart. Because Devin Williams missed much of the year, he was asked to take on the closer role and stepped up in a big way, putting together the first 21 saves of his career. Fans already know about his scorching four-seam fastball that averages 98.8 mph and topped out at 101.4 mph but his curveball was sneaky nice too, having an opposing batting average of .167 and a mind-blowing whiff rate of 55.0%. With Williams potentially gone this offseason, Megill’s performance as the interim closer could push for the team to give him the full-time job in 2025. If you’re worried about the Airbender being traded away, Trevor could just end up being the next reincarnation of the Avatar. megill_strikeout.mp4 (Tie) 1. SP Tobias Myers 138 IP, 3.00 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 8.3 SO/9, 2.3 BB/9, 140 ERA+, 2.7 rWAR If not for a 20-year old Venezuelan outfielder whose last name is somewhat similar to everyone’s least favorite childhood breakfast cereal, Myers would have undoubtedly been the Brewers’ rookie of the year. It has been a wild ride, to having the second-most losses in the minor leagues in 2022 to an unimpressive full-time minor-leaguer, to having the best ERA+ of any starting pitcher on the Brewers. He also pitched five shutout innings in his postseason debut. His four-seam fastball was serviceable but the pitch with the best results might have been his changeup. It was pretty unhittable with an opposing average of .083 and a whiff rate of 44.4%, the only pitch he threw to have a whiff rate above 25%. His slider was effective as well with a .255 opposing slugging percentage. Can he keep up the good work in 2025? If he does, Milwaukee’s starters will be a menacing bunch with Brandon Woodruff back in the fray and Robert Gasser potentially returning from surgery halfway through the season. myers_strikeout.mp4 (Tie) 1. Freddy Peralta 173 ⅔ IP, 3.68 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, 10.4 SO/9, 3.5 BB/9, 114 ERA+, 2.6 rWAR Peralta may never return to his 2021 peak but Milwaukee has now gotten three seasons of pretty consistent starting pitching from him. He threw more innings than any previous season in 2024, making 32 starts at the top of the rotation and maintaining solid numbers while doing it. His season had a lukewarm ending with a shaky start ending in a postseason loss to the Mets but he redeemed himself a little bit by coming out of the bullpen in the eighth inning of the final game. Freddy didn’t do a ton differently than last year but he made a few small adjustments. He decreased the usage of his curveball in exchange for more heater and changeups. His fastball was less effective but his changeup was better, particularly at avoiding hard contact. Opponents slugged just .291 against the changeup in 2024 vs. .388 in 2023. It’ll be interesting to see where he ends up on the depth chart in 2025. Brandon Woodruff has been out for the whole year and may need some time to get back to his former self, perhaps clearing a way for Freddy Peralta to lead the way once again. There is a minuscule chance the Brewers don’t exercise his $8 million team option for 2025 but there’s probably a higher chance that I’ll be the Opening Day starter than that happening, especially after his solid showing this year. peralta_strikeout.mp4 View full article

brice turang before and after switching from 2% to 1% milk this offseason